TWO asteroids are set to pass by Earth this week – and one is a big beast.
Both will take a “close approach”, but experts emphasize that they will be at a safe distance, so there is nothing to worry about.
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The larger of the two – officially known as (415029) 2011 UL21 – is larger than 99 percent of the near-Earth asteroids currently known to astronomers.
It measures around 2.1 kilometers long and is expected to arrive closest to Earth at 9:14 pm BST/4:14 pm ET on June 27.
At its closest point to Earth, it will be 17 times further away than the Moon.
“This asteroid’s orbit around the Sun is strongly inclined, which is unusual for such a large object,” explains the European Space Agency (ESA).
“Most of the large objects in the Solar System, including planets and asteroids, orbit the Sun at or near the equatorial plane.
“This could be the result of gravitational interactions with a large planet like Jupiter.
“Jupiter can deflect previously safe asteroids toward Earth, so it is important to understand this process.”
A smaller asteroid called 2024 MK will follow suit on June 29, but will come much closer to Earth.
It will pass about 75% of the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
The asteroid poses no danger, but it was only spotted a few days ago, which the ESA says highlights the need for better detection technology should any serious problems surprise us in the future.
“There is no risk of 2024 MK impacting Earth,” writes the organization.
“However, an asteroid of this size would cause considerable damage if it did so, so its discovery just a week before it passed by our planet highlights the continued need to improve our ability to detect and monitor near-Earth objects (NEOs). ) potentially dangerous.”
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What is the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter), but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that could impact Earth).
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids collide, the small pieces that break off are called meteoroids.
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vaporize and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it will look like a ray of light in the sky because the rock is burning
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t completely vaporize and survive the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it could land on Earth. At that point it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However, instead of being made mostly of rock, a comet contains a lot of ice and gas, which can result in incredible tails forming behind them (thanks to the vaporization of the ice and dust ).
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
